Road To Recovery
by NightWatcher666
Summary: Sequel to Rock Bottom. Will they be together, or will one be taken away? Rated T for content.


**A/N: Even though Reviews are slow in coming the plot bunnies came to me again (I really need to get some repellant). Again if I were the owner of these characters I would be writing about them here.**

**ROAD TO RECOVERY**

* * *

She smiled as she finished her shift for the evening. Lately she had a lot to smile about; there was her boyfriend of six months Chuck, the fact that some of her designs had finally sold on the freelance market, and she had a bit more money coming in. Even though she was still working at the diner, she had been able to afford a slightly nicer apartment with earnings from her designs and no longer had to worry about a place for Chuckie to sleep when he was in town, which was becoming quite a bit more frequent. All in all things were beginning to look up for her, and now he was taking her on a three week long vacation. She was quite curious as to what would be happening because he didn't tell her where they were going, and it took some effort for Pete to give her the time off she knew this was going to be the most wonderful vacation she ever had. She went into the office to get her check before heading home; tonight was the night her red haired knight was coming to sweep her off her feet.

* * *

It was beginning to get dark out as he made his was out of airport. He was grateful that Angelica had managed to get a bigger apartment because that meant he was able to keep some of his stuff there for when he came into town which was about two weeks a month now. He still wished that she would come back to California with him even if just for a visit, but she still felt so much shame for what she did and wasn't ready to face everyone yet. She had asked him to keep their relationship a secret for the time being, and also made it a point to refuse him giving her too much money using the excuse of being too prideful to take it. He knew the real reason though, she didn't want to be seen as a leech or a gold digger and also the fact that she up and disappeared for several years might not look so great in the eyes of everyone. As much as he understood he still wished there was more he could do for her. He felt his pocket to make sure the ring was still there, and went over his plans to propose to her at a table in a little café in Paris. This was going to be the best three weeks of his life.

* * *

She skipped lightly as she went down the street to her apartment. She was so happy, she was practically bursting at the seams with it, and it showed. Thinking about everything that happened over the last half a year really put her life into focus and she was ready to begin the next three weeks being just simply a woman in love.

* * *

_"Aw come on Chuck, You don't just take off for three weeks and not let anyone know where you're going"_, he heard his sister say through the earpiece of his cell phone.

"That's what I'm doing Kimi"

"_This isn't like you at all big bro", _she said back to him.

He smiled, "Even I have to be spontaneous sometimes."

"_Charles Crandall Finster, you wouldn't do something like this on your own. There's a girl isn't there?"_

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes there's a girl", he replied smugly.

Kimi scoffed at his statement,_ "I'm your sister, so of course it's my _business_. So what's she like?"_

"Beautiful, smart, and hard working"

"_And I get to meet her when?" _Kimi asked.

"As soon as she's comfortable with it, but I gotta go"

He hung up his phone and paid the cab driver. When he stepped out of the cab he straightened his coat and started walking towards her apartment building while holding onto the box in his pocket.

* * *

She got out of the elevator on her floor and walked down the hall towards her home. When she got there she found the door kicked in and heard someone rummaging around in her apartment. Against her better judgment she slowly crept through the door and came face to face with a man wearing a black coat and a ski mask.

"What the hell is this?" he asked maliciously.

"This would be the person that lives here", she spat trying not to show him how scared she really was.

"Well this is just too perfect", he said smiling, "'I'm gunna have some fun before I leave."

She instantly tried to go for the baseball bat she had by the door but he was quicker. He grabbed her by the arm and forcefully spun her around flashing a knife in front of her eyes. Her emotional barriers collapsed, and as tears began to well up in her eyes she let out an ear piercing scream for help.

* * *

Chuckie had just stepped off the elevator when he heard a scream coming from down the hall. He immediately took off running down the hall till he came to Angelicas door. He made it to the door just in time to see a masked man cut the front of his girlfriend's shirt open. He grabbed the bat next to the door and took a step towards the man.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he practically shouted causing the man to turn around to face him while still keeping a tight grip on Angelicas arm.

"It's time for you to leave ginger boy", the man said sternly, "Before someone really gets hurt."

Chuckie swallowed hard and summoned every ounce of courage he could muster, "No", he said firmly

The man threw Angelica to the floor, dropped the knife and pulled out a gun. Without thinking Chuckie ran at the man. He pulled the trigger and the gun went off just as Chuckie, using every bit of rage he had connected the bat right into the side of the man's head. The attacker's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell to the ground in an undignified heap. Chuckie felt his head begin to spin as he looked down and saw his shirt turning red from blood. Angelica hurried to him just as he hit the floor and began to lose consciousness.

* * *

Kimi Deville put her daughter Emma in her crib for the night and walked into the living room where her husband Phillip was watching TV. She had just gotten comfortable next to him when her cell phone began to ring.

"Why does that always happen when I'm ready to spend my evening lazily watching TV with the man of my dreams?" she asked as she got up to answer it.

"Because life would be no fun if it all went according to plan", he responded flashing a toothy grin.

She didn't even look at the caller ID before flipping it open, "Kimi Deville", she said.

"_Kimi, Chuckie's been shot. Get to New York as soon as possible", _came a panicked and desperate voice from the other end.

"What do mean he's been shot?" she asked in clear surprise.

"_Someone broke into my apartment and tried to rape me. He tried to stop them and they shot him. The ambulance just came and he's_ _on his way to the hospital, please Kimi get here ASAP."_

"I'll be leaving within the hour. Who is this by the way?" she asked.

"_It's An…"_

"Hello, hello?" Kimi asked but the call had dropped, "Damnit", she cursed as she slammed he phone closed.

"Who was that, who's been shot, and where are you going on such short notice?" her husband asked.

"Not quite sure, Chuckie, and New York", she said quickly, Phil find a babysitter for Emma and Danny, and call the gang. Tell them to get to the airport ASAP, it's an emergency. I'm gunna get the Jet ready for takeoff."

"And just where are you going to find a pilot on such short notice?"

Kimi stopped and considered it for a moment, "You have a license, and you've always wanted to fly one of the jets, you'll do."

* * *

Angelica growled as the cell died in the middle of her call with Kimi. She didn't have her number anywhere else and didn't have time to look for the charger. At least she said she was coming. She quickly changed shirts and left for the hospital.

* * *

Thomas and Lillian Pickles had just sat down for a late dinner after getting their three month old son Daniel into bed when the phone rang. Tommy sighed slightly but got up to answer it.

"Pickles residence", he said hoping it wasn't a telemarketer.

"_Tom, its Phil. Chuckie's been shot and we're heading out to New York to be there. Take Danny to my parent's house and get to the airport now."_

Tommy stood there as the shock of what he had just heard sunk in. Several moments later he heard Phil's voice shouting at him, "Right on our way", he said as he hung the phone up.

Tommy turned and looked at his wife, "That was Phil, Chuckie has been hurt and we're going to New York. Get Danny ready we're dropping him off at your parents on the way to the airport."

Lil nodded and quickly rushed off to get the things that were needed ready before leaving. She wished that Susie and Dil were in town but they would call them enroute to their destination.

* * *

It had taken nearly three hours but Tommy, Phil, Lil, and Kimi all walked into the emergency room of the New York hospital that Chuckie had been taken to. Once they told the nurse who they were they for, they were shown to the OR waiting area. The only other person there was a blonde woman with her head down in her knees and obviously crying. Kimi walked up to the woman and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you the one who called?" she asked.

The woman without looking up simply nodded and kept sobbing.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Tommy asked stepping towards her as well.

The woman shook her head, took a breath and looked up at the newcomers in the room.

"Angelica", they all gasped out at once. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were red and swollen from hours of crying, bet never the less she gave them a meek smile.

"Hi guys", she said with a broken voice, "This really isn't the happy reunion I was planning."

Everyone crowded around her and offered hugs to try and comfort the person they had spent so much of their childhoods fearing. They seemed to notice that even with the distraught look and terrible circumstances, she was happy to see them again after all these years.

"So what exactly happened?" Kimi asked.

Angelica explained to them what happened. She did pretty well until she got to the part about Chuckie being shot, and broke down crying again on Kimi's shoulder.

"It'll be ok", Kimi said trying to calm Angelica down.

"No, it won't be", she sobbed, this is my fault. How can he even look at me after what I've done to him?"

"I don't follow", Kimi said perplexed.

"Had I met him at the airport, not gone into my apartment, or hell even went home with him when he asked me to this would never had happened."

"Angelica", Kimi said, "Nobody blames you for what happened. There's no way you could have known, and I know if Chuckie loved you before he will still love you after."

"And if he doesn't live then what?" she said, "He could die because I was too stubborn and ashamed to face all of you."

"Wait", Tommy said, "You were afraid of us? Why?"

"I was a total bitch while growing up, and then I fall of the face of the earth until Chuckie found me working in a diner. I wouldn't welcome me back and I wasn't sure if you would."

The doctor came into the waiting room and saw five people staring at him with hopeful eyes.

"Who's here for Charles Finster?"

"We are", they all responded.

"Well, is there a member of the family present?"

"I'm his sister", Kimi replied getting a slight look from the doctor.

She sighed from frustration," My names on his emergency contact card. It's Kimi Finster-Deville, and I'm listed as his sister."

"Look Doc", Phil spoke up, "I know you're just following policy but she's kind of sensitive about the always having to prove they're related thing."

"I apologize, Mr. Finster made it through just fine, but we're keeping him in the ICU tonight so he can get some healing done."

"So he's going to be ok?" Angelica asked finally breaking from her tears.

"Yes Ma'am, he's going to be fine. It will be a couple weeks before he's really up and around again but he'll be ok."

"Can we see him?" she asked.

"Sorry", the doctor said, "No visitors tonight, but if you come back tomorrow he'll be ready for some friends."

"Come on lets go to the hotel", Kimi said, "Angelica, you can come too."

Angelica nodded a silent thank you and left the hospital with the group. She knew she wouldn't sleep well but at least she could try.

* * *

She woke up screaming as a vision of a man wearing a ski mask coming at her played over and over in her dreams. Kimi sat up in the bed next to her as Phil jumped clean out of the bed, landing on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Kimi asked Angelica

Angelica was visibly shaking and was covered in sweat. She looked at Kimi, "Nightmare", was all she said.

"I see, please don't get mad at me, but what happened to your attacker?"

Angelica looked at the floor as a few tears escaped from her eyes, "He's dead."

"And you neglected to tell us this earlier why?" Kimi asked with a slightly irritated tone in her voice.

"I was upset"

"I'll say", Kimi commented.

"You know Chuckie is really my hero, he had a gun and Chuckie still did what he had to do to save me."

"Doesn't sound like something Chuck would do, does it?" Kimi asked causing Angelica to shake her head. "He must really love you."

"I love him too", Angelica responded.

Kimi gave Angelica a hug and crawled back into bed with her husband, "We'll head to the hospital in the morning."

* * *

Tommy, Phil, and Lil sat around a table the next morning eating breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. They were talking about the revelation that Angelica spilled to Kimi the night before.

"I still can't believe it", Lil said, "That's so not Chuckie."

"Love makes you do strange things", Tommy replied.

"Where are Angelica and Kimi?" Lil asked her brother.

"Angelica wasn't feeling well this morning, so Kimi stayed with her", Phil replied.

"Probably coming down from being so hyped up on adrenaline last night", added Tommy.

Lillian rolled her eyes at her husband's statement and pulled out her cell as it started ringing and answered.

"_Lil, tell the guys to go and do some sightseeing or something. You, Angelica, and I have an errand to run, and we'll meet them at the hospital in a couple of hours_."

Lil relayed the message and as the boys left, went to Kimi's room to get ready for some rather interesting news.

* * *

A few hours later the three women came into the hospital. After checking with the nurse, they took the elevator up to the sixth floor where Chuckie's room was.

"He is so gunna flip", Lil commented through an ear to ear grin.

"You don't think he'll be happy?" Angelica asked worriedly.

"Of course he will", Lil said, "He's just going to flip from it."

"Trust me", said Kimi, "It's a guy thing."

They walked down the hall and entered the room. Chuckie was sitting up in bed holding his bloody coat, but smiling broadly, Tommy was standing next to him also smiling, and Phil was on the other side looking like a goofball. Chuckie and Angelica's eyes met and they both blushed.

"I have something to tell you", they said to each other at the same time.

"You first", Angelica said.

"Well this isn't exactly how I wanted to do this, but", Chuckie looked at his friends; "Ok guys help me out here."

Tommy and Phil both dropped to one knee as Chuckie pulled a little black box out from under the coat and opened it. Angelicas eyes widened as she saw a platinum ring, with a large blue sapphire stone and five small diamonds surrounding it.

"I wanted to ask you in Paris, but this seems as good of a place as any, and our friends being here for this make it even more perfect." He took a deep breath and held the ring out, "Angelica Charlotte Pickles, will you marry me?"

Angelica walked up to Chuckie's bed, took the ring out of the box, and put it on her finger. She looked at him and smiled, "Yes, yes I will marry you."

She leaned down and the couple shared a kiss with their friends applauding around them.

"What did you have to tell me?" he asked.

She smiled and took his hand, placing it on her belly, "I'm pregnant."

Tommy and Phil stood wide eyed as Kimi and Lil gave sighs. Chuckie's smile grew even broader as he pulled her onto the bed, giving her another kiss.

* * *

**A/N: Please read and review. I will continue this series if I have motivation.**


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